Florida Sentinel Bulletin

A number of NBA stars have expressed interest in playing in an overseas basketball league this fall if the NBA lockout ends up cutting into the 2011-2012 season. But LeBron James is apparently not interested in taking his talents to Europe in an extended lockout situation.

This puts him in a minority among big-name stars. Heat teammate Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard were listed as “willing to consider playing overseas.”

Earlier this month, Wade said of playing in a foreign league, “If there’s an opportunity there, I’d consider it.”

The threat of playing in overseas could be a valuable bargaining chip for the NBA players’ union, but for players like James, there might not be much monetary incentive to play in another basketball league.

According to Forbes, James earns $48 million annually, but his Heat contract paid him only $14.5 million last season. James can ride out the lockout comfortably with his many endorsements and business interests, so he stands little to gain by playing overseas and risking injury.

CORAL GABLES, Fla.  — Former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning was sued Wednesday over a traffic crash that raised questions about whether he improperly left the scene.

The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed on behalf of 21-year-old William Candelario, who suffered head injuries in the rollover crash near Miami Beach. Candelario said he has little memory of what happened and his attorney said the lawsuit is aimed at finding answers.

In a brief interview, Mourning said he came upon the crash scene but declined to say whether he struck one of the vehicles.

Sgt. Thomas Pikul, a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman, said investigators determined that Mourning’s blue Porsche Panamera struck Candelario’s Audi A4 a short time after the Audi had collided with a third vehicle.

Mourning, currently the Heat’s vice president for player programs and development, acknowledged leaving the scene. Investigators said he returned about 40 minutes later, in another car driven by his wife, Tracy.

“I left and came right back. Left and came back. There was no panic at all because I didn’t do anything wrong. There was a current accident already in progress,” the 41-year-old Mourning said.

Tiger Woods has ended one of his longest relationships: With his caddie of 13 years, Steve Williams.

Confirming what many golf fans have suspected for months, Woods said in a statement on his website Wednesday: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it’s time for a change.”

Williams worked with Woods, 35, as he racked up 13 of his 14 big-time championships. He has been working with another pro, Adam Scott, since Woods’ recent injury took him out of the sport. “Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future.”

But Williams — who stood by Woods during his disastrous 2009 adultery scandal and 2010 divorce — wasn’t exactly pleased with the news.

“After 13 years of loyal service needless to say this came as a shock,” Williams wrote on his own website. “Given the circumstances of the past 18 months working through Tiger’s scandal, a new coach and with it a major swing change and Tiger battling through injuries I am very disappointed to end our very successful partnership at this time. I have had the opportunity to work for Australian Adam Scott and will now caddy for him on a permanent basis.”

SHANGHAI — Wracked by injuries that curtailed his playing time in the NBA, Yao Ming called it quits on his basketball career Wednesday during a packed news conference in his hometown.

The Houston Rockets center and No. 1 draft pick in the 2002 NBA draft confirmed weeks of speculation about his retirement by opening with a simple statement: “I will formally end my career.”

NEW YORK — Neighbors have buried a teenager who died when a motorcycle collided with a vehicle carrying Los Angeles Lakers player Lamar Odom and hurtled onto a New York sidewalk.

Odom, who stars in a reality TV show with his wife, Khloe Kardashian, was visiting his native Queens on last Thursday afternoon when a motorcycle tried to turn left in front of the chauffeured Cadillac Escalade sport-utility-vehicle he was riding in, police said.

The motorcycle hit the front bumper of the SUV and went out of control, striking a pedestrian, 15-year-old Awsaf Alvi Islam. “It hit him from behind and he went right down headfirst,” said Rahat Islam, a friend of the boy.

An ambulance took the boy to Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens with severe head trauma, said Atiya Butler, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

The driver of the motorcycle, 32-year-old Christian Mora of Queens, was in stable condition at the same hospital, Browne said. No one has been arrested, but the collision remains under investigation, he said.

The SUV was owned by a New York delivery car service. The driver was unhurt.

Awsaf Alvi Islam was the son of immigrants from Bangladesh, an avid soccer player who had recently become more involved in his local mosque, Rahat Islam said.

ALBANY, NY — Serena Williams leaned against a wall in the bowels of SEFCU Arena, sweat pouring off her muscular shoulders and a satisfied look on her face after a very long day.

“It’s good to be back. I love playing. I really enjoyed myself out there,” Williams said Tuesday night after beating Martina Hingis 5-3 in World TeamTennis. “It was a really long day, but at last I arrived.”

Williams, who sat out nearly a year with an assortment of health problems before returning to play the Eastbourne International prior to Wimbledon, continued her comeback by also playing mixed doubles and women’s doubles. Her team, the Washington Kastles, edged the New York Sportimes 21-20

WASHINGTON — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is taking his anti-dogfighting message to Congress.

Vick told a news conference Tuesday that he supports a House bill that would prohibit attendance at organized animal fights. The bill also would impose additional penalties for anyone causing a minor to attend.

Vick said he wants to teach kids not to get mixed up in animal fights and to take away profits from sponsors of these events.

The football star appeared with officials of the Humane Society of the United States and two sponsors of the legislation, Virginia Democrat Jim Moran and Ohio Democrat Betty Sutton. Pennsylvania Republican Tom Marino of Pennsylvania is the bill’s third co-sponsor.

Somehow Miami has become the hot destination for diva wide receivers, even though Dan Marino retired over a decade ago.

Free agent receiver Plaxico Burress went on record this week to say he would love to suit up for the Dolphins in 2011, even though the team has shown no signs of interest in him.

The former Giant and Steelers WR said that he and the Dolphins’ Brandon Marshall “would be the best duo in football,” if only the Dolphins would sign him.

PHILADELPHIA — Golfer Tiger Woods is the latest celebrity and athlete to get his own unauthorized biography in a comic book.

Publisher Bluewater Productions Inc. said that it will release its one-shot issue “Fame: Tiger Woods” on Wednesday in book stores, comic book shops and online, as it expands its already burgeoning line of biography comics that have profiled people from politics to music to film.

Those profiled so far have included first lady Michelle Obama, singer Lady Gaga, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Written by C. W. Cooke and illustrated by Marcelo Salaza, the 32-page issue is part of the Vancouver, Washington-based company’s look at celebrity culture and how those in it rise from obscurity to notoriety and deal with life in the public eye.

“Tiger Woods is, in most respects, the most famous golfer of all time. He may have had some recent troubles, but his life is one filled with very interesting tidbits,” said Jason Schultz, Bluewater’s executive vice president.

Woods, 35, was the former world No. 1, but recently tumbled to No. 17, his lowest spot in 14 years.